Where Are England’s Asbestos Waste Hotspots?

Recorded asbestos waste in England increased from 243,739.82 tonnes in 2024 to 277,379.85 tonnes in 2025. Despite the 13.8% national rise, 150 local authorities recorded a decrease in asbestos waste compared to previous years, while 145 recorded an increase and one authority was unchanged.

We analysed Environment Agency (EA) hazardous waste data, alongside population estimations to identify:

• Where recorded asbestos waste was highest per 10,000 residents
• Where recorded tonnage increased or decreased most sharply year on year

Stratford-on-Avon had the most asbestos waste per capita; however, this figure is heavily influenced by a single large aggregated record.

Note: These figures show asbestos-containing waste recorded through the Environment Agency’s hazardous waste system. They do not measure how much asbestos remains in local buildings or the level of asbestos exposure in an area.

With 34,865.6 tonnes recorded in 2025, Stratford-on-Avon tops our asbestos waste leaderboard. This equates to 2,343.56 tonnes per 10,000 residents, more than five times the rate of second-placed Basildon.

However, 97.85% of the 2025 tonnage came from a single record of 34,116 tonnes, equivalent to around 2,000 double-decker buses. That record was attributed to asbestos-containing construction material.

This means Stratford-on-Avon’s ranking should not be read as evidence that the district itself has unusually widespread asbestos contamination.

Basildon (421.99 tonnes per 10,000 residents) and Brentwood (418.90 tonnes per 10,000 residents) feature in second and third place, respectively. Along with Castle Point, three Essex authorities feature in the top five.

North Northamptonshire ranks sixth per capita. However, the local authority recorded 9,229.76 tonnes of asbestos waste, second only to Stratford-on-Avon for total tonnage. The district also experienced a sharp year-on-year increase from 1,392 tonnes in 2024.

Per-capita rankings and absolute tonnage may tell different stories.

With a tonnage of 38.61 recorded, the Isles of Scilly don’t appear in the top 10 due to total weight. They feature due to their population of just 2,299, meaning that for every 10,000 residents, 167.94 tonnes of asbestos waste were present.

Asbestos waste can include:

• Asbestos cement sheets
• Asbestos insulation board
• Pipe lagging
• Sprayed coatings
• Ceiling or wall panels
• Some floor tiles and adhesives
• Roofing materials
• Contaminated PPE
• Tools or materials that cannot be decontaminated

It’s important to note that not all asbestos-containing materials present the same risk to the public. Risk is higher when fibres are released, or material is damaged/disturbed. If you or your business suspects asbestos is present, contact competent, licensed professionals to identify the waste.

Blue and brown asbestos were banned in 1985, followed by a ban on the import and use of all asbestos in 1999. Therefore, buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may still contain asbestos, which is why maintenance work throughout England continues to uncover the material.

Much of today’s asbestos waste is the legacy of construction carried out decades ago.

Not necessarily. Higher recorded tonnage may be the result of:

• Demolition
• Refurbishment
• Planned asbestos removal
• Remediation work
• Large individual projects
• Changes in reporting or waste movements

When asbestos is correctly identified, removed and recorded through authorised routes, the waste system is working as intended.

Mark Hall, Waste Management expert at Business Waste, comments:

HSE guidance outlines the following steps:

• Stop work immediately: Do not drill, cut, sand or otherwise disturb suspected material.
• Keep people away: Prevent unnecessary access to the area.
• Do not rely on appearance: Asbestos cannot reliably be identified by sight alone.
• Arrange a competent assessment: Use an appropriate asbestos surveyor or specialist.
• Use licensed contractors where required: Higher-risk work, including sprayed coatings, lagging and most asbestos insulating board work, generally requires an HSE-licensed contractor.
• Package asbestos waste correctly: HSE guidance requires asbestos waste to be appropriately double-wrapped and labelled for disposal.
• Use authorised waste routes: Asbestos waste must go to an appropriate permitted site.
• Keep documentation: Hazardous waste movements require a consignment note.

• Business Waste analysed Environment Agency Hazardous Waste Interrogator data for 2024 and 2025.
• Records relating to asbestos-containing waste were grouped by English local authority.
• 2025 recorded tonnage was compared with ONS population estimates.
• The per-capita rate was calculated as:
  2025 asbestos waste tonnes ÷ population × 10,000
• Local authorities were ranked from highest to lowest based on recorded asbestos waste tonnes per 10,000 residents.
  Year-on-year change was calculated by comparing 2024 and 2025 tonnage.
  Both absolute changes in tonnes and percentage changes were considered.
  For percentage decreases, the campaign applied a 100-tonne baseline to avoid very small starting values disproportionately affecting the ranking.
  296 English local authorities were included.
  One authority recorded no change.
  Stratford-on-Avon’s 2025 figure includes one aggregated record of 34,116 tonnes, representing 97.85% of its total recorded tonnage.
  The data reflects recorded hazardous waste movements, not the amount of asbestos present in buildings or local exposure risk.